Habits, Routines, Rituals, & Roles: Digging deeper into the relationship between everyday activities and overall wellbeing.
Have you ever noticed….summer tends to start with a bang?
Here in Vermont it feels like it happens overnight. One day we’re wearing our down jackets and loading wood into the fireplace…the next day we’re planting the garden, watching the flowers bloom, eating watermelon and putting on sunscreen.
As humans, we naturally shift with the seasons. With the changeover from spring to summer, we tend to feel more energized. Begin a jogging routine? No problem. Go to a BBQ every weekend? Yes please. Edge the garden beds, put down mulch, plant the gardens, weed the gardens…all in one day…on it!
While it feels amazing to “do it all” and “get it all done”, summer is also a season for relaxing on the porch, drinking lemonade, going to the beach, and lounging with a good book.
What’s the “secret sauce” for you to stay sane and manage this duality of busy-ness and chill-time? Becoming aware of the relationship between your everyday activities and your overall wellbeing and health. Ok…read that last sentence again, because it seems too simple.
🌟Begin by just recognizing that the activities you do daily impact your overall health & wellness.🌟. This includes all the roles that you fulfill in your life, the habits that you perform daily on auto-pilot (either healthy or not), the routines you engage in, and the rituals (meaningful activities) that help you along the way
That’s the first step. Nothing too complicated, but it is easy to forget this critical info when we jam-pack our days with activities and say “yes” to everything that comes along.
To put this into a practical scenario that maybe you could realistically encounter, let’s go with this example:
It’s Monday and you know you have a big project due at work next week and a busy week ahead to prepare for it. Of course, there are also the daily responsibilities that occur in any given week, such as grocery shopping, meal preparation, laundry, driving the kids to practice/school/etc. You also know there are a couple meetings during the week in the evenings. The school calls and asks if you could help organize the end-of-year luncheon, so you think “sure, I want to be helpful and this teacher has been so wonderful all year.” It’s also baseball season and there are a few games afterschool that you want to go to. You have an exercise routine that makes you happy and keeps you sane, but you just might not have the time to do it and something has to give in order to get it all done.
Does any of this seem relatable? If so, you’re not alone. As humans, we have a lot on our plates that we are “expected” to juggle. It can be very stressful when your day is chock-full of activities, tasks, & to-dos.
You might be asking “Ok, but how do I navigate this and find a good balance that works for me?”. Let’s break down the above example, with a few tips for handling these scenarios:
First of all, let’s break-down the patterns a bit in the example above: The roles you fulfill could be that of worker, parent, community member (of the school), homemaker, and yogi. The typical daily routines may be disrupted due to the work expectations of the next week and the busy schedule overall. Some habits that may rise to the top could include always saying “yes” to everything and/or sticking to an exercise routine. A ritual (meaningful activity) in this scenario could be the act of preparing & enjoying your morning cup of coffee or going to a yoga class during the week that keeps you grounded and on-track for the busy week ahead.
Awareness is the first step, so high-five if you can recognize the (im)balance in your days!
Pre-planning: I know I have a big project due next week, so I’m going to have to plan my time accordingly. What can I do to prepare in advance?
Time-Management: Decide how you want to manage your schedule (paper or digital calendar). Look at each day and see if it’s manageable (be honest with yourself!)
Delegation: What can you delegate to others? Kids carpool with neighbors, partner does the laundry and meal-prep.
Setting boundaries: Some things “have to be done” but saying “no” to something(s) is acceptable. Take a hard look at what you can say no to and what you will say yes to. Is it meaningful to you? Say yes. Is it going to affect your work standing or dynamics? Say yes. Is it going to zap you of physical and mental energy if you do it? Say no. Will you reap more than you sow? If not, say no.
Prioritize: What is most important to you as you look at your week? If seeing the kids baseball games is important, see if you can cut back in another area that is less pressing.
Self-Care: Non-negotiable! Adhere to the exercise schedule that you love. Go to that yoga class that keeps you grounded and focused. Take that extra 15 minutes to make yourself the coffee you love.
🌟 Putting in that bit of extra time at the beginning of the day (or week) to assess your daily activities can add up to a day with less stress and more ease. Your physical and mental health will thank you :) 🌟
Is there anything else you would add to the list above to maintain a healthy balance in your days? Please share, and thanks for reading.
